Finally.
At last.
Kevin Chappell went one for 180 Sunday in San Antonio but no one’s counting. He got his first PGA Tour win, that’s all that matters.
He got it with a clutch performance at the TPC San Antonio with a heart-pounding finish that threw him into a celebration frenzy there at the 72nd green.
Chappell was the 54-hole leader for the first time in his career and he held it together well to start the day, a couple-under on the front but long-ball Brooks Koepka was out there dogging him, making birdies seemingly at will. Koepka stuck a final wedge shot to within a couple of feet at the 18th shoot 65 and post 11-under while Chappell was 12-under through 14.
At the 15th, Chappell missed the green, caught the left bunker and failed to make par. But he had back-to-back birdie holes at the driveable 17th and the par five 18th ahead of him.
Chappy drove short and on the fringe, looked like a marvelous birdie opportunity at 17 but his approach putt wasn’t the best and he’d walk off with par. All square, Koepka in the clubhouse, texting on his phone, hoping for a Chappell par and a playoff.
Good drive, nice layup and Chappell had just 88 yards. Good wedge to eight feet where the demons of 180 were waiting for him there, a little down left-to-righter. After John Huh put the slow play on him, Chappell kept his cool, didn’t waste much time and started his putt on a perfect line — gutted it for the elusive first win. You can leave the driving range, Brooks.
Chappell didn’t hold back. He let out a holler they probably heard at the Alamo. Then he put the bear-hug of the year on bearded caddie Joe Greiner, gave him a kiss on the side of his head for good measure. Happy guy, joyous guy.
“Excited, frustrated, a lot of joy,” Chappell said, summing up his wait for the win. A half-dozen seconds accounted for the frustration part of the equation. “I was calm all day,” he added, “but I guess guys always say that when they win. I never freaked out. Hopefully this is the platform to jump off, hopefully Ryder Cups, Presidents Cups, more wins, another level.”
This one was a long time in the making. Chappell did get some help from Koepka, who missed a couple of back-nine birdie chances one from four-feet at the 14th and an eight-footer at the 17th. But it takes good fortune along with good play to get these wins.
Chappell earned this one. His closing 68 got the job done. He didn’t let frustration get the best of him.
He was clutch when he needed to be exactly that.
